Wednesday, June 18, 2008

"Big Shots" Creator to Run Season 2 of "Dirty Sexy Money"

Oh, boy. This is not good. Is "Dirty Sexy Money" in trouble? Four months after he became executive producer/showrunner of ABC's Donald Sutherland-fronted soap, "Dexter" creator Daniel Cerone, whose job was to make "Dirty Sexy Money" more edgy, is stepping down and will be replaced by "Big Shots" creator Jon Feldman.

In a recent interview, Cerone explained that in the second season, the stakes would become much higher for the Darling family on "Dirty Sexy Money." For instance, under his leadership, a season 1 scene in which a nail polish stain was found following Carmelita's abduction, would turn out to be blood.

Having produced 3 all-new episodes, the studio has realized Cerone was not a good fit for "Dirty Sexy Money" after all. Although some viewers who gave up on the show last fall accused the luxe drama of being neither "dirty" nor "sexy" enough, Cerone may have taken too much of a melodramatic approach.

I have always appreciated the intelligent writing on "Dirty Sexy Money," the depth of its characters and the witty dialogue laced with subtle humor. Sure, the luxe settings and the opulent clothes gave plenty of eye candy, but there was so much more to the show.

Early spoilers for season 2, including one about a scandalous murder trial for one of the characters, indicated a somewhat different approach to storytelling. Although I was initially surprised by the hiring of Cerone, I thought he could bring value to the show.

Now, with the man who created one of the worst shows of the 2007-2008 season on board (apologies to the loyal "Big Shots" fans who were saddened by the show's expected demise) I really don't know what to expect from the upcoming second season of "Dirty Sexy Money."

The production on the show which began in early May will soon be shut down (they had planned to take a break in July) to give the new showrunner time to catch up.

Let us hope executive producer Greg Berlanti, creator Craig Wright, and the wonderful cast who all remain on board (sans Samaire Armstrong), ensure that the quality we had grown accustomed to remains intact.

In any event, when the show returns it needs to rebuild its momentum, and it needs to do it fast. Any fluctuation in quality in those early episodes could prove fatal - if the viewers fail to return, the show could be gone by November sweeps.